Shaving device



Oct. 31, 1939. H E AVONDE Er AL 2,177,973

SHAVING DEVICE File@ Jan. 18, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. E. AvoNDE m- AL. 2,177,973

sHAvING DEVICE Oct. 3l, 1939.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 18, 1958 Fig@ l Ey f5, @JQ

Patented Oct. 31, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,177,973 Sl-IAVING DEVICE Application January 18, 1938, Serial No. 185,512

2 Claims.

This invention relates to shaving devices of the type adapted to be operated by an electric motor or electro-magnetic means.

The general object of the invention is to provide a shaving device of increased simplicity and eiiiciency in operation and whose parts are few in number and comparatively simple to manufacture and assemble.

To this end, the invention comprises a razor having two fixed blades and one oscillating blade, each of the fixed blades having a face-engaging shoulder thereon, the blade being inclined in a straight line from the shoulder towards the cutting edge whereby the portion of the face engaged between the two lshoulders will be maintained in a taut condition during the shaving operation. The invention also includes the provision of an elongated rocker arm for imparting movement to the oscillating blade whereby a minimum of strain is imposed on the driving mechanism for the arm and a greater power stroke of the oscillating blade is effected. Other features of the invention, including simplified driving arrangements for the rocker arm, will appear from the description now to be given.

' The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in 4which Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of one form of shaving device,

Figure 2 is a plan of the same form with upper casing half removed,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the cutting head,

Figure 4 is an enlarged front view of the cutting head,

Fig-ure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a sectional side elevation of another form of the device, and

Figure 7 is a plan of the latter form with upper casing half removed.

In the drawings, I is a casing made of hard rubber or the like and which is in two separate halves and 2 is a cutter head which projects from one end of the casing as shown. The casing is suitably shaped to receive the various parts of the device and has an outer contour of convenient shape to be grasped by the hand of the user.

The cutter head comprises a housing 3 having 50 an elongated slot 4 at its forward end to form two oppositely positioned xed blades 5 and 6 with cutting edges 5' and 6. Within the housing 3 is mounted an oscillating hollow ground blade I the edge of which is diagonally arranged to engagethe inner surfaces of the blades 5 and 6 and to provide a shearing action in cooperation with the cutting edges 5 and 6'.

The xed blades 5 and 6 have outer shoulders and 36 and extend therefrom tothe cutting edges in a straight line which forms with the 5 rear flat face of the blade an angle, which is preferably substantially 8. 'This angle should not be less than 7" but may be increased to 14 although best results have been obtained when the outer faces are inclined at substantially 8 10 to the rear faces of the blade. The shoulders, being at the outer edges of the blades, are a substantial distance from each other and the arrangement provides a concave face-engaging portion of substantial area which causes the skin 15 to assume the ideal condition relative to the shearing edges.

The housing 3 is formed by means of two complementary bcx-like members 8 and 9 of identi'- cal size and shape with the exception of key IU 20 and keyway il in the respective members for the purpose of locking them together in such a manner as to permit no relative movement. The members are` preferably formed of steel. The rear wall of the housing, indicated at I2, is comg5 paratively thick, to provide greater solidity, and a central opening I3 is formed therein. At the forward end of the housing opposite openings 33 are provided in the side walls for cleaning purposes.

The oscillating blade 'l is carried by a supporting member I4 having a groove I5 which receives the blade. The blade is maintained in cooperative relationship with the Xed blades at all times by means of a llat spring I`6 positioned 35 between the end of blade 1 and the bottom of groove vl 5. Tongues l1 on either side of the blade 1 slide in corresponding grooves I8 in the support I4 to retain the spring I6 in position. The blade 'l is secured to the support I4 by means of 40 a screw I9 which passes through a slot 20 in the blade to permit limited longitudinal movement thereof.

The support i4 is mounted for oscillating or rocking movement in the cutting head. A central rearward extension 2| extends through the opening l3'i'n the rear wall of the housing and laterally extending pins 22 thereon are journalled in bearing blocks 23 formed on the rear Wall of the housing. It will be noted that half of each block 23 is formed on the respective ,members 8 and 9.

In the form shown in Figures 1 and 2 a rocking bar 24 for oscillating the support I4 and blade 'I is riveted to an upwardly extending por- 55 necessary clearance for the driving mechanism,

the arms being joined at their ends by the cross piece 26.

The driving mechanism for rocking the bar 24 comprises a motor. having a driving shaft 21 journalled in split .bearings 28 mounted on casing I. The shaft 21 has an eccentric union 29 on the rearward end thereof, which union is journalled in a bearing 30 pivoted to rocker arm crosspiece 26 at 3|.

The electric motor consists of a rotor 31 mounted on shaft 21, a stator 38 set into the casing, contact point bracket 39 and its cam 40 on the shaft 21, and power coils 4I. The contact point bracket 39 and its cam are so arranged to make and break the electrical circuit through the power coils 4| eliciting a magnetic flux through the rotor which is caused to rotate at high speed and constant torque. Connector pins 42, suitably wired to the mechanism as shown, are mounted in the casing on a bracket 43. A knurl 44, riveted to the rotor, is provided with a milled edge and is the means for starting the motor after the same is connected to a line current. The knurl 44 exends through a slot 45 in the casing whereby it may be readily rotated by the thumb of the operator. A smalll cooling fan 46 may be mounted on the 'motor shaft as shown. Additional air holes may be provided in the casing for a better air Icirculation if required,

The form shown in Figures 6 and 7 is closely similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 5 with the exception of the driving mechanism. which comprises an electro-magnetic means.i

The cutter head is identical with that previously described.A The casing 32 is formed of two identical halves. The 'rocker arm in this instance comprises an elongated flat plate armature 41 riveted to an upwardly extending. portion 48 of the support I4. The armature is vibrated by means of an electromagnet 49, energized by power coils 50, which are wired .to connector pins 5I for suitable connection to a source of electric current. A fiat reaction spring 52 normally tends to hold the armature spaced from the electromagnet in the position shown in Figure 6 and acts to repel the armature in an upward movement after each attractive impulse of the electro-magnet. The reaction spring is also designed to act as a buffer to eliminate any clatter between the armature and the casing. The tension of the spring is adjustable by means of the set screw 53 whereby a fine adjustment of the cutting edges may be obtained and to obtain thel correct balance of the spring in its relation to the maximum pull of the armature to the magnet.

The arrangements described provide a simple and effective shaving device. The diagonal alignment of the oscillating blade in relation to the fixed blades` which are parallel ensures a most efficient two-way shearing. action. The angle of the shear, as shown in Figure 4 permits an alternate clearance from side to side as it oscillates across the fixed blades and thus gives ample clearance space to receive the hair as the razor is moved across the face. Moreover the pitch of the rocker blade is so inclined as to never leave the surface of one fixed blade before engaging with the other. A constant alignment of the rocker blade with the fixed blades is thus maintained.

The provision of the substantially spaced faceengaging shoulders 35 and 36 on the fixed blades and the inward inclination of the blades to their cutting edges maintains the skin in a taut condition with a flat portion opposite the narrow slot 4, thereby projecting the beard through the slot in a more or less unyielding position.

To further protect the skin against abrasion and to accentuate the smooth gliding action of the cutting head, .gliding or guard surfaces 34 are provided at the lateral edges of the fixed b1ades,vas shown in Figures 4 and 5. These gliding surfaces are concave in shape to conform with the angle vof declivity of the outer surfaces of the blades. These guards or gliders extend out from the actual cutting edges a slight distance suflicient to insure freedom vfrom injury to the skin.

Placement of the rocker arm drive at the rear fof the mechanism in both instances not only proheating and permitting the maintenance of a constant speed.

It will be observed that both forms employ comparatively few operating parts with the resulting simplicity and economy of manufacture. The two halves of the casing shown in Figures 6 and 7 are identical for further ease of manufacture. Assembly or dissembly of the various parts is readily and quickly effected.

We claim:

l. In ashaving device, a pair of opposed fixed blades having flat rear surfaces in the same plane and spaced shearing edges and an oscillating blade having a shearing edge extending diagonally across said spaced shearing edges and engaging said rear surfaces, the exposed surface of each of said xed blades having a narrow inwardly and sharply inclined portion adjacent the shearing edge of the blade and a broad inwardly inclined portion extending from said narrow portion to the opposite edge of the blade, the inclination of said broad portion being in a straight line at an angle of between 7 and 14 with said rear surfaces.

2. A shaving device as dened in claim 1, wherein the inclination of Said broad portion is at an angle of substantially 8 with said rear surfaces.

v HENRI E. AVONDE.

SYDNEY J. ALBIN. 

